Numerous envelopes are used on a daily basis, to deliver messages or objects such as letters, notes, cards, gift cards, coupons, promotional materials, and money from one person to another. Conventional envelopes can be environmentally wasteful and costly because such envelopes are typically limited to a one-time use once the envelope has been printed on, or is sealed.
Origami envelopes (envelopes made from a folded piece of paper) can be substituted for conventional envelopes. However, existing origami envelopes are typically folded in a way such that the folded envelopes are oddly-shaped and sized and/or do not resemble conventional envelopes in shape or function. Such designs of folded envelopes are impractical since these oddly-shaped and sized envelopes may be more prone to being lost in the mail, and/or may not hold objects which are not easily foldable, such as cash. In addition, prior art origami envelopes are typically folded using square-sized paper (i.e. where the width and the length of the paper are substantially equal) which is typically less readily available than other sizes of paper. In addition, some prior art origami envelopes may be constructed from folding irregular shaped sheets of paper (e.g., with protruding sections and cut-outs). In such cases, an operator must first manually trace and then cut out the sheet of paper in accordance with a template prior to folding. This can be very time-consuming.
There is a general desire for apparatus and methods that address at least some of the aforementioned problems.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.